Portland

Portland’s New Streetlights Are Psychedelic, Carnivorous Plants

If you’ve seen one streetlight, you’ve pretty much seen them all. They’re important, sure, but they’re usually not much to look at. The lamps that popped up across Portland are a little bit different. A little more like giant, carnivorous plants. “Nepenthes” by Dan Corson is a collection of four, 17-foot tall light-up sculptures that…

Tech News Eric Limer

Darth Vader on a unicycle, playing Star Wars themes on his bagpipes, because why not?

What does Darth Vader do on his days off? In this video, he enjoys a pleasant one-wheeled cycle through the streets of Portland (of course) while providing his own Imperial March theme music (after an extended bout of the Star Wars main theme). So which is more difficult, riding a unicycle with a bagpipe in…

io9 Lauren Davis

In Portland, Oregon, you can attend Hellboy summer camp

If I happened to be an adolescent Oregonian, my head would be exploding right now. For Summer 2012, Dark Horse Comics and Mike Mignola have collaborated with a wilderness training organization to offer a Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense camp for kids 9-17. The weeklong program is designed to teach youth the baseline skills…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

5 haunting subterranean structures from around the globe

Even if you’ve been to the Catacombs of Paris or have gone spelunking in Brooklyn’s abandoned subway lines, there’s still a wealth of underground places to be explored. Here are some of the world’s less welcoming manmade tunnels and grottos. Fort Zverv In the 1970s, this munitions store in Kronstadt, Russia caught on fire. The…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

Does Using a Groupon at a Place Where I’m a Regular Make Me a Jerk?

Groupon is a super popular deals site for a reason: It offers amazing deals. So why do I always end up feeling guilty? Because it keeps offering me deals for places I already frequent. The first time it happened was a couple of weeks ago. (I’ve only been checking Groupon for a few weeks.) There…

Tech News Joel Johnson

Why I Love An Imperfect $70 Wooden iPhone Case

With free iPhone cases abounding, an iffy economy, and a new truck project that’s capable of taking every last dollar I can throw at it, why did I buy a $70 iPhone case? Because it’s the one I’ve always wanted. Wood is the best material. It’s second only to leather for how nice it feels…

Tech News Joel Johnson

H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival and CthulhuCon to ensnare Portland this weekend

Heads up to West Coast io9ers — a Lovecraft-themed gathering will be going down in Portland this weekend. The list of events includes screenings of eldritch cinema and literature, an appearance from Stuart Gordon, and other sundry mind-bending activities. The festival will occur from October 1-3 at the Hollywood Theater in Portland, Oregon. Here’s a…

Movies Cyriaque Lamar

Meet the First US Public Electric Vehicle Quick Charge Station

Congratulations, citizens of Portland! Specifically, citizens of Portland who own an electric car. You, my fine fellows, are the only persons in the country with the power to charge your lithium ion battery to 80% in under 30 minutes. Portland General Electric‘s installation of the Takasago Rapid Charging Station is the first of its kind…

Tech News Brian Barrett

A Beer Fit For Google: Gigabit IPA

Google’s bringing fiber to a special city—whichever city can prove its worth. Portland just threw down some heat by creating its own beer, “Gigabit IPA“. It goes up for a tastetest tomorrow. Will it woo the Goog? [Taplister]

Tech News Joel Johnson

Our 2009 12-City 3G Data Mega Test: AT&T Won

Given carrier reputation and our own iPhone call drops, we were pretty surprised to discover, through careful testing in 12 markets, that AT&T’s has pretty consistently the fastest 3G network nationwide, followed closely—in downloads at least—by Verizon Wireless. Let’s get this straight right away: We didn’t test dropped voice calls, we didn’t test customer service,…

Tech News Wilson Rothman

Clearwire Opens 4G Wireless in Three New Cities, Only 77 to Go

Remember when Clearwire promised they’d bring WiMax to 80 cities within 18 months? Well, they’ve started with Las Vegas, Portland and Atlanta (the latter being right in AT&T’s backyard), and Sprint is set to take advantage. https://gizmodo.com/clearwire-swears-theyll-have-wimax-in-80-markets-in-18-5308387 Sprint, which owns a 51% stake in Clearwire, says it will offer 10Mbps download and 3-6Mbps upload speeds…

Tech News Dan Nosowitz

Portland 3G Data Test: AT&T, Sprint and Verizon

My in-laws live in Portland’s sorta twin city, Vancouver, WA. Over Thanksgiving weekend, I decided to check out the 3G situation. PGE Park (Saturday, 12 noon) Home of the Triple-A Beavers, among other minor league sports teams, it’s a centrally located venue for fun stuff in Portland. Surprisingly, there was a Starbucks conveniently located right…

Tech News Wilson Rothman

First Reports on Watchmen from Portland Screening

The place to be last night was Portland, Oregon, where the first “secret” preview for the movie adaptation of Watchmen took place at the Regal Lloyd Center 10 Theater for a packed audience full of fans who’d read the leaked announcement of the secret screening online. Lines for the screening snaked through the theater hours…

io9 Graeme McMillan

Guy Who Uses Stun Gun on Son to Toughen Him Up Jailed, Unsurprisingly

The father of an 18-month-old child is off to jail for four years after being found guilty of using a stun gun on the boy. His reason for using the 100,000-volt Dragonfire, which resulted in muscle damage to the kid’s heart, was because he wanted his son to be “the toughest cage fighter ever.” Yeah,…

Gadgets Kit Eaton

Portland’s Solar-Powered, 22-Story Storage Facility

Boasting 175,000 square feet of integrated solar panels, this storage center on the banks of the Willamette in Portland will probably lay claim to being the most energy-efficient storage facility when construction is finished. Built on just three acres of land, (most single-story storage facilities need 10 times that amount) Portland City Storage will be…

Tech News AddyDugdale

Portland’s New Streetlights Are Psychedelic, Carnivorous Plants

Darth Vader on a unicycle, playing Star Wars themes on his bagpipes, because why not?

In Portland, Oregon, you can attend Hellboy summer camp

5 haunting subterranean structures from around the globe

Does Using a Groupon at a Place Where I’m a Regular Make Me a Jerk?

Why I Love An Imperfect $70 Wooden iPhone Case

H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival and CthulhuCon to ensnare Portland this weekend

Meet the First US Public Electric Vehicle Quick Charge Station

A Beer Fit For Google: Gigabit IPA

Our 2009 12-City 3G Data Mega Test: AT&T Won

Clearwire Opens 4G Wireless in Three New Cities, Only 77 to Go

Portland 3G Data Test: AT&T, Sprint and Verizon

First Reports on Watchmen from Portland Screening

Guy Who Uses Stun Gun on Son to Toughen Him Up Jailed, Unsurprisingly

Portland’s Solar-Powered, 22-Story Storage Facility

Judge Kills Lawsuit Against Infamous Study That Might Have Increased Teen Suicides

Artemis 2 Day 3: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

Researchers Discover How to Add Psilocybin, DMT, and Other Psychedelics to Tobacco

Fake Videos Are Already Spreading After Two US Air Force Planes Go Down Near Iran

We’re Obsessed With the Meta Fits on These New Star Wars Toys

Behold These Breathtaking Views of Earth Captured by the Artemis 2 Astronauts

‘Chainsaw Man’ Briefly Returns in ‘Dandadan’

Meta Smart Glasses Can Now Track All the Food You Put Into Your Mouth

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

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